At The Stroke of Midnight
by EmoEccentrica
Summary: No one can save me... Not even Dumbledore.. Draco's POV as he is about to kill Dumbledore... Read?


**Well everyone just finished watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and got inspired by the scene where Malfoy is about to kill Dumbledore. And then my writing bunny woke up from it's extended nap and began bouncing around my head with this idea. I decided that since no one ever seems to consider the fact that maybe Malfoy really has a concious that I would write something that showed that he did... :D Soo... enjoy!~**

**_Disclaimer: I own none of JK's fabulous work nor the movies _=O **(Shocker right?~)

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I look at the clock. It's eleven thirty. I slowly get out of bed, glad that tonight my efforts will pay off. Tonight is the night that Dumbledore dies. I pull on my black socks and pull my jacket on; though I know nothing will be be as cold as what I'm about to do. I look around my dorm wistfully, knowing I will never see the inside of it again....that I'll never sleep in this bed.. never- I shake my head. Now is not the time to get nostalgic.

I've made an oath to serve the Dark Lord.. I could never back out now. Not unless I wanted to die like Karkaroff would. I walk out of the dorm quietly, grabbing my wand and the sack of Peruvian Darkness Powder I had acquired earlier. I step out of the portrait hole and make my way down the eerily silent hallway, towards the Room of Requirement. I grin when I hear the idiots belonging to the Order of Phoenix patrolling the area; they know something is going on, but they have no idea the gravity of the situation.

I put my hand on the wall where the Room of Requirement has so often appeared for me. Tonight however I seek it out for another use. _I need a tunnel that leads to the Astronomy Tower_. A door appears and I open it, revealing a darkly lit corridor. I climb up the winding stairs that make up the hallway and smile when below my feet I hear Lupin calling the all clear. Fools; Tonight Hogwarts was anything but clear. Tonight Hogwarts would hold Death Eaters and the Dark Lord will have finally conquered the haven that his opponents held so dear.

I reach a door and slowly open it. I smile when I see Dumbledore there, alone. "Good evening Draco, what are you doing here on such a nice spring night?" Fool, always so trusting... "Who else is here? I heard talking." I however am not so trusting; I would not be ambushed by Potter or a teacher... not tonight... "I was talking to myself, sometimes I find it extraordinarily useful.. Have you been whispering to yourself Draco?" I circle him, always with my wand on him, ready to kill him... just like the Dark Lord asked me to. I try to find my conviction, my resolve.. but it's no surprise that I can't find it.

Despite my calling him a crackpot and a fool, he really has grown on me.. "Draco you are no assassin." I look at him disbelievingly and then I find my voice. "You don't know what I am! I have done things that would shock you!" I point my wand at him, my resolve slowly revealing itself.. Maybe I can do this.. Maybe I can kill the wizard that has done all that was in his power to hinder the Dark Lord...

"Like cursing Katie bell, in hopes that she would bear a cursed necklace to me? Like replacing a bottle of mead with one that was laced in poison? I can't help but think that with attempts so weak, that your heart is truly in it.." My hand shakes, I know I don't want to do this; I have no choice.. When the Dark Lord marked me as his own, I lost my will. I am the Dark Lord's pawn, it is my fate... "I was chosen!" I pull back my sleeve, revealing the darkened Dark Mark. It is a constant reminder of the debt I bear.. The debt my father passed to me....

"I shall make it easy for you," He spreads his arms and I see my chance. "Expelliarmus!" His wand goes flying and instead of a smirk spreading across my face and a sense of accomplishment washing over me, my face remains emotionless and a gnawing feeling begins in the pit of my stomach. I have no excuse not to kill him now.. Death Eaters whisper my name into the dark, a chorus of 'Draco' echoing in the spacey room. "Ah, you aren't alone,there are others," It is no question. Dumbledore knows that Death Eaters are in his school. "How?"

Finally a smile appears on my face, albeit it is one of sick pride. I have accomplished something no one dreamt that I could. "The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement," Although I accomplished something great, I can't help myself as a wave of revulsion courses throughout my entire being. Yes, I accomplished something, but at what cost? "I've been mending it," Comprehension graces Dumbledore's aged features and I feel a stab of remorse.. Was accepting my oath of service really the braver course? "There was a sister.. Where?" I feel my grin return. "In Borgin and Burkes. It creates a passage." Dumbledore manages a small smile. "Ingenious," I stare at him, semi-amazed that even in the face of death he still managed to compliment his soon-to-be-murderer...

"Draco.. Once I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices.." He looks at me, his eyes pleading with me. "Please.. Let me help you," I don't need his help. No one can help me. "I don't need your help. Don't you understand?" My eyes are stinging, I don't want to cry. I point my wand at him, fighting tears the entire time. "I have to do this," My voice is breaking. "I have to kill you," I don't want to kill him. I have to.. I am not so brave that I'm willing to defy my Master's wishes. My wand is shaking now. "Or he'll kill me.." I look into his eyes, which are filled with nothing but compassion. Hagrid's words reach my ears once more.. It was first year, when he was talking to Potter in the Great Hall. 'Great man he is, Dumbledore..' Neither his greatness nor my cowardice is enough to save him now.. Nothing can save either one of us now.

I can hear people running up steps. My time has just run out; the Death Eaters are here. Bellatrix appears, a triumphant smile on her face; she has made it no secret that she wants to see Dumbledore dead. "Well look what we have here," Her voice drips with sarcasm; she knew that I was ordered to kill him.. My hand shakes and my blood runs cold when she comes up behind me and whispers in my ear. "Well done Draco," Everyone's breathing slows, and I have to control myself not to just run out of the tower and leave Dumbledore to one of the others. I don't want to kill him.

"Good evening Bellatrix," How can Dumbledore address these people so casually!? "I think introductions are in order, don't you?" Bellatrix stares at the silver haired man, a feral smile on her pale face. "I agree Albus, but I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule," The hairs on the back of my neck are standing straight up. She turns to me, her eyes shining with the knowledge that Dumbledore would soon be dead. "Do it,Draco" I hate the way she says my name. "He doesn't have the stomach," I turn towards the man who has said it. He wears a mask, his identity not revealed to me. His words cut me like fine wire, because deep down I know that he is right. I've been thinking it for the past half hour that I've stood here. I don't want to kill this man. I don't want to kill anyone, not even Potter. "... Just like his father..." My resolve strengthens. I have to do this, not just for my life.. but for the sake of my father's name.. my name.

"Why don't you let me.. I'll kill hi-" "No! The Dark Lord has given him orders to do it!" Bellatrix turns to me, "This is your chance Draco.. Do it.." I hesitate and she looks at me, a look of amusement on her face. "Come on, Draco." I hate the way she sneers my name; its as if I'm worth less than she is.. as if I only exist for her amusement. I make no move to say those two damning words. Whether or not I will kill is no longer the question. It is how fast will I be able to escape. I will not kill Dumbledore. "NOW!!!!" She screams at me, apparently her patience has been all but exhausted. I point my wand at Dumbledore, acting as though I am going to kill him. "Now.." I turn to see Snape. How long has he been standing there?

The air is tense and it feels as though someone is close to just taking my wand and killing Dumbledore themselves. "Severus..." I look and see Dumbledore staring at Snape. Instead of the surprise I would have expected, his eyes held nothing but regret. Did he regret trusting Snape?" I can feel Bellatrix's eyes boring a hole through my head; she is tired of waiting and I know that;however, it doesn't mean that I will kill Dumbledore. I return my gaze to Dumbledore, his eyes seem to twinkle now more than ever. "Please..." My eyes screw up in confusion. Is he begging? Dumbledore? No... he must be talking to someone in the shadows.. Someone who has come to save him. Dumbledore wouldn't beg!

Snape sighs and then his unforgiving black eyes look glazed over. He doesn't want to kill Dumbledore either, but he dares not hesitate. "Avada Kedavra!"

I fight the urge to yell out. I don't want Dumbledore dead.. he is our only hope! The spell hits Dumbledore square in the chest and I feel a stray tear fall onto my cold cheek. Everything seems to slow down at the moment Snape speaks those words.

I watch in horror as Dumbledore falls off the building, into the dark night. I can't bear to watch any longer so I avert my eyes and focus them on the floor. I am filled with feelings that I have always been taught are weak. Sadness, loneliness, remorse. I can't bear to hear the wind split as Dumbledore's body cuts through it.

I struggle to breath. I can't do this. I can't be a Death Eater.. Just as I'm about to cry out, Snape grabs my shoulder and steers me out of the Astronomy Tower quickly; He wasn't quick enough, because I still could hear Bellatrix's shout of triumph. Her Master's enemy was dead. I feel the crackle of magic in the air as she sends up the Dark Mark. I fight back tears as I realize that the greatest wizard on Earth is dead, and it's all my fault.. Had I not disarmed him.. Had I not joined the Death Eaters...I fight back the depression that threatens to consume me. This is my fate and I can do nothing to change it. Now no one can help me.. no one can save me.. not even Dumbledore. And so the clock clangs, as it strikes midnight.

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**Review? Thoughts? Critisism? ***hands out HP cookies to everyone who clicks the little green button*


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